Dublin Arts Council

M.L. Red Trabue Nature Reserve Public Artwork

Dublin, Ohio

NATIONAL CALL FOR ARTISTS

RFQ with Letter of Interest 

Project:                      Commission and installation of a permanent, three-dimensional outdoor public artwork installation in M.L. “Red” Trabue Nature Reserve in the City of Dublin, Ohio, USA.

Budget:                      $150,000 (all-inclusive)

Call Issued:               JULY 12, 2021

Entries Due:              SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 at 11:59:59 p.m. (EDT)

Project description:

Dublin Arts Council is seeking to commission an artist and/or artist’s team to create a site-specific permanent public artwork installation in Dublin, Ohio’s M.L. “Red” Trabue Nature Reserve, a 90-acre park which features restored wetland and vernal pools, a boardwalk, biking and walking paths, ponds of varying sizes stocked with bass, bluegill and hybrid striped bass, an arboretum, wildflower and prairie grasslands, bluebird nest boxes, and the historic Fleming log cabin built in 1865. The artwork will be the latest large-scale permanent artwork of the Dublin Art in Public Places program, which was begun in 1988.
 

Community context:

Dublin, Ohio is a suburban community approximately 20 minutes northwest of Columbus, Ohio. The 25-square-mile city is home to more than 50,000 residents and more than 4,300 businesses, including 21 that are listed among the Fortune 500. More than half of Dublin’s residents are married, and about three-fourths of the population has a college degree. Dublin City Schools has the 3rd highest immigrant population in the state and the 6th largest English Learners program, with a student body that speaks more than 70 different languages.

Dublin is consistently ranked one of the safest cities in the nation and in 2015 was named one of America’s Top 20 Creative Class Cities. It is home to more than 20 corporate headquarters, an entrepreneurial center, world-class events and the urban, walkable Bridge Street District. The newly constructed “Dublin Link” pedestrian bridge physically connects Dublin’s beloved historic district with a new mixed-use Bridge Park development. It is the longest span single tower S-shaped suspension bridge in the world. The city annually hosts Jack Nicklaus’ "The Memorial Tournament," a PGA Golf Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club and the Dublin Irish Festival, one of America’s largest Irish celebrations. 

Background:

Dublin Arts Council will collaborate with the City of Dublin, artists and members of the community to award the commission.

Dublin Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the following mission: Dublin Arts Council engages the community, cultivates creativity and fosters life-long learning through the arts. 

Dublin Arts Council (DAC) was established in 1983 and began the Dublin Art in Public Places Program in 1988 in collaboration with City of Dublin. DAC will facilitate the artist selection process, after which City of Dublin will enter into contract with the artist and will oversee the process. After installation and approval, in Summer 2023, the Title to the artwork will transfer to the City of Dublin.

Dublin Arts Council is a thriving local arts agency that administers comprehensive engaging programs, which in addition to the award-winning Art in Public Places projects, include a yearlong Visual Arts Series, the annual DAC Sundays at Scioto summer concert series, site-specific contemporary dance projects and events that highlight the best in aesthetic experiences with a strong emphasis on education and social awareness. DAC serves as a community convener and thought leader for using art as a catalyst for social change and cultural cohesion. 

Goals of Art in Public Places program: 

By creating a collection of public art, the Dublin Art in Public Places program's goal is to enhance the quality of life for Dublin's residents and to strengthen the city as a destination for visitors.

The collection includes both large and small visual artworks acquired through a variety of models in which Dublin Arts Council is actively engagedl including major gifting, committee-directed projects, calls for entries and jurying, on-loan programs with an acquisition component, interactive projects, contributions to the City's interior collection and projects which define a community initiative.

The Dublin Art in Public Places program was begun in 1988 and now includes 21 large-scale permanent, site-specific installations, 16 RiverboxesTM, small public artworks modeled after geocaching, a mobile street piano and the presentation of several temporary public art projects. The permanent collection is valued at $3.8 million.

Dublin Arts Council maintains that public art should inspire an emotional response, provoke questions and invite interaction, while encouraging ingenuity and creative discovery by artists. The award-winning collection of public artworks distinguishes the Dublin community and creates a sense of place while contributing to Dublin’s aesthetic legacy.

Site Description: 

The site-specific public artwork installation will be installed at M.L. “Red” Trabue Nature Reserve, one of 60 developed parks in the community, with entrances located at 6835 Avery-Muirfield Drive & 6566 Post Road in Dublin, Ohio. The park is accessible to all and is steps away from Karrer Middle School, one of four middle schools among 23 schools in operation within the Dublin City Schools district, and is visited frequently by seniors from nearby assisted living facilities and residents from surrounding neighborhoods. 

The nature reserve was named after “Red” Trabue, a Dublin naturalist, journalist and television pioneer. Trabue was a writer for the Columbus Dispatch newspaper, specializing in outdoor activities and also served as host for “The Outdoor Show,” one of the longest running locally-produced television shows in Columbus, Ohio history. The live, 30-minute show aired on Sunday afternoons and ran for 16 years from the 1950s to the early 1970s. Red is remembered for his charismatic, friendly demeanor and for the passion he shared for outdoor sports.

M.L. "Red" Trabue Nature Reserve is a 90-acre park and a haven for nature lovers. The park is best known for its boardwalk and pond, perfect for fishing and observation. Other features include vernal pools with amphibians, an arboretum, walking and biking paths, and the historic Flemin cabin, built in 1865.

Budget:

The budget for the commissioned project, which will be dedicated in summer 2023, is $150,000, all-inclusive. The fee will include, but is not limited to artist/design fee, materials, fabrication, installation, transportation/shipping, insurance, project documentation, engineering, travel, site modification, per diem expenses and contingency to cover unexpected expenses.

Artist Eligibility:

The call is open to all professional artists who are U.S. citizens and live and work in the United States. Artist teams will be considered, but only a single artist ‘project manager’ will be contracted.  The artist’s services will include design of an original artwork, management of fabrication and installation of the work and availability for a public reception, media interviews and other promotional opportunities.

Dublin’s Art in Public Places Program is community-driven. We believe public art is a public service built on collaboration. Using the artist’s vision and practice as inspiration, Dublin Arts Council will offer programming that actively invites community members to observe the artist at work, engage in dialogue, provide feedback, and respond creatively throughout the commission process. Incorporating resident voices early on ensures the process is responsive to the culture and people of the community it reflects. It also furthers Dublin Arts Council’s mission to engage the community, cultivate creativity and foster life-long learning through the arts. Candidates are invited to submit a statement on community engagement in their application.

Finalists will be required to make a mandatory site visit to Dublin in October 2021, prior to developing a proposal (travel details TBD). A second visit will be required to present the proposal in early January 2022 (presentation format TBD). Travel expenses and a stipend will be provided and are detailed below.

Dublin Arts Council is committed to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in all programs and services, and does not discriminate on the basis of race/ethnicity, color, religion, gender, marital status, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, disability or veteran status. Dublin Arts Council’s established policy is to provide equal employment, advancement and other opportunities to all individuals based on merit, qualifications and abilities.

Application Materials / Checklist:

Applications will be submitted digitally, free of charge, at www.callforentry.org

Uploaded material will consist of:

• Six digital images (jpeg format preferred) Minimum 1920 pixels on the longest edge. Maximum 5MB file size each. Audio and video clips are also accepted, up to three each.
• Caption sheet identifying each image by title of artwork, medium, dimensions, dates, price (if applicable) and location. Image file names must correspond to the caption sheet.
• Resume / CV
• Three references (including full names, titles, affiliations and contact information)
• Letter of interest (1-3 pages). Preference will be given to an expanded artist statement relating to this specific project. 
• Statement on community engagement (encouraged)
• Up to three selections of representative printed materials, such as catalogues or news articles (optional).

Deadline:

Applications must be uploaded to www.callforentry.org by WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. 

Selection Process:

Selection of three finalists will be determined by a committee consisting of the following:

•             Members of the community 
•             Member of Dublin Arts Council Board
•             Artist(s)
•             Public art expert(s)
•             City of Dublin staff member (non-voting)
•             DAC staff member (non-voting)

Incomplete application materials or artists who do not meet eligibility requirements will not be considered for finalist selection.

A stipend of $2,500 will be provided to each finalist for design, development of proposal, creation of presentation with or without maquette, and preparation of maintenance guidelines. Travel expenses for (1) a mandatory initial site visit and (2) presentation of final proposal, will be provided for each finalist by Dublin Arts Council. 

Finalists will present proposals separately to the committee and members of the general public. Community input will be considered in the final commission award.

Criteria:

• Artwork must be the original work of the artist(s) without any historic, current or future replications or editions. 
• The artwork must be durable, low maintenance, appropriate for a pedestrian environment and able to withstand year-round Ohio outdoor weather conditions. 
• Creative license with diverse interpretations, including abstract focus, will be considered.

Dublin Arts Council is sensitive to the intellectual property component of this process and respects the rights of artists. Artists will retain copyright and VARA rights.
 

Project Timeline: 

July 12, 2020:               Call is issued

September 1, 2021:      Application deadline

October  2021:              Finalists selected by committee review

October 15, 2021:        Finalists notified

Oct-Dec 2021:              Finalists’ site visits (travel details TBD)

Jan 2022:                     Finalists present proposals to committee/community                            
                                     (presentation format TBD) 

Feb 2022:                    Winner of commission notified, announced

Feb 2022 :                   Contract executed. Proposal materials gathered,
                                    submitted to City for approval; first payment  
                                    delivered      

Feb ’22 – June ‘23:      Artwork fabricated

Summer 2023:             Artwork installed, public dedication/reception

Full call is available for download: https://dublinarts.org/news/callforentries/

 

Additional information:

City of Dublin: http://www.dublin.oh.us

Dublin Arts Council: www.dublinarts.org

M.L Red Trabue Nature Reserve: https://dublinohiousa.gov/parks-open-space/must-visit-parks/

Video by City of Dublin, “M.L. Red Trabue Nature Reserve”

Questions:
Ava Morgan, PhD
Public Art Manager
Dublin Arts Council
Via email: morgan@dublinarts.org

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria